It is not known how John Woodhouse (born Warrington) met Laura Bracegirdle (born Macclesfield), but they were married at Preston in 1915. Their son, John, was born in Macclesfield in 1916 and Laura lived with her parents at 10 Duke Street while her husband was serving in the Army.

MILITARY SERVICE

John enlisted in Preston in September 1916 and was drafted out to France in February 1917. He was included on the Macclesfield Absent Voters’ List for 1918 at 10 Duke Street.

It is not known when and where Gunner Woodhouse was gassed but he was taken to No 2 Canadian General Hospital at Le Treport, France, where he died on 12 September 1918, just three hours before his wife arrived from Macclesfield to see him.

The death of Gunner Woodhouse was reported in the Macclesfield Times on 20 September 1918:

Gunner John James Woodhouse, Royal Field Artillery, died in hospital in France on September 12th from gas poisoning. His wife, who resides at 10 Duke Street, Macclesfield, was notified on Wednesday week that his condition was serious. She immediately went to France and arrived at the hospital at Le Treport about three hours after he had passed away. Gunner Woodhouse was 30 years of age, and enlisting in September 1916, went out to France in February 1917. In civil life he was employed by Messrs Hulton’s, of Manchester, int he commercial department at the Preston branch office.

COMMEMORATION

Gunner John Woodhouse is buried in grave ref VIII. E. 13B. of the Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport, France. His widow asked for the inscription “FOR GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIEND” to be added to his headstone.